Applying decorations



Aug. 16, 1932. G. R. ENSMINGER 1,872,131

APPLYING DECORATIONS Filed April 12. 1930 FIG. 1.

FIG; 2.

ear Red/z as 73,0 Coal Dace/c elm-ml or Gold/eaf r/ReI/h as Sz'ze Pyro xy [in oal Pyr Xy/In Codi Jula c e r prim er gwvcntoz EIE urge R. Eran-Linger Patented Aug. 16, 1 932 d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE B. BUSHING-EB, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. I. DU PORT DE NEMOUBS & OI WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION 01' nnuwm AIPIJYIN'G DECORATIONS Application filed A ril 1:, 1m. Serial No. 448,988.

This invention relates to the applications of decorations to surfaces. More particularly this invention relates to theapplication of decorations of the gold leaf or decalcoman a 5 type to surfaces. till more particularly 1t relates to the application of gold leaf and decalcomanias to surfaces containing pyroxylin and drying oils.

It has been customary in the past to apply gold leaf to paint, varnish, lacquer,'glass, paper and metal surfaces (in short, to any coated or uncoated surface) for the purpose of lettering or decoration. In applying gold leaf to a surface it has been customary to apply 16 an adhesive material or size to the surface which is tocarry the gold leaf, to allow the size to dry until it is tacky, which usually requires about four hours, and, thereafter, to apply, as by means of a roller, the gold leaf.

20 The goldleaf adheres to the size and is allowed to dry for about fifteen hours. The size usually consists of a solution of natural resin in solvents, or of a specially formulated oil varnish. When the system has dried suffli ficiently it has been customary to apply one or two coats of pencil varnish over the gold leaf and the surrounding surface. If two coats are used, it has been necessary to d the first coat for approximately fifteen hours before the second coat could be applied. These systems when continuously exposed out of doors have a durability of approximately six months.

In applying decalcomanias the size is spread upon the back of the decalcomania sheet and is allowed to dry for about'an hour, the sheet is applied to and is pressed firmly down upon the surface, the paper backing of the decalcomania is soaked, as with water,

in order to facilitate its removal and is then stripped from the decoration. After the removal of the protective sheet the system is allowed to dry completely, which usually regulres about fifteen hours, after which coatmgs of protective varnish are applied.

The disadvantages of these prior systems are that they have insuflicient durability,

rations such as gold leaf and decalcomanias to surfaces in short periods of time. Another object is to apply gold leaf and decal- 'comanias to surfaces which have been coated withv compositions containing pyroxylin and drying oils. Another object is the'preparation of a rotective system having greatly increased urability. Other objects will be apparent from a reading of the specification.

These objects are accomplished by using as the adhesive or size a material comprising a suitably modified resin of the polyhydric alcohol-polybasic acid type. With this adhesive can be used compatible oils, driers. and antioxidants in suitable proportions. These objects are further accomplished by using the same composition both as size and as protective top coat.

In the practice of my invention I obtain preferred results by the use of a polyhydric alcohol-polybasic acid resin which has been modified with suitable drying oil acids, nondrying oil acids, or rosin acids. Among the acids which are suitable are linseed oil acids. and cottonseed oil acids. I have discovered that excellent results'ar'e obtained by the use of a resin having approximately the following composition expressed in terms of the phthalic acid ester of glycerol and glycol. and the linseed oil acid ester of glycerol:

Glyceryl phthalate Glycol phthalate 5 Linseed oil acid glycerides 35 As well understood by those skilled in the art these resins are made by reacting together with the aid of heat a polyhydric alcohol, a polybasic acid and a suitable modifying agent of the type mentioned. The composi- 5 tion of the above oil modified resin, expressed in terms of its reacting ingredients, is as follows:

Per cent 0 Phthalic anhydride 46.3 Glycerol 21.2 Linseed oil acids 31.0 Glycol 1.5

By the use of non-dryin oils compatible with the resin I can suita ly regulate the drying time of the composition. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, as set forth in the example below, I use blown rapeseed oil, although other compatible oils of this character are equally applicable.

I have found it advisable where quick drying is desired to incorporate a drier in my adhesive composition. Any drier capable of suitably setting up the film after the application of the decalcomania or gold leaf can be used. An example of such a drier is a cobalt drier.

Inasmuch as compositions of the class in which my invention falls are often stored for long periods of time it is sometimes advisable to incorporate therewith a sufficient amount of antioxidant to prevent bulk form oxidation but insufficient to materially deleteriously affect the dryin of the composition in the form of a film. xamples of such antioxidants are eugenol and oil of cloves.

When finally composed inits preferred form, my adhesive will have somewhat the following composition:

An example of my preferred composition is as follows:

Polyhydric alcohol-polybasic acid type resin (described above) 30.0%

Blown rapeseed oil High flash naphtha 6411 5% cobalt linoleate solution in turpentine 4.4 Oil of cloves 0.2

The invention maybe better understood by balance referring to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top view of a letter applied by my process, and

Fig. 2 is a section through the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 designates a steel base carrying one or more coatings, as 4 and 5, of pyroxylin and suitable intermediate primer and surfacer coatings 2 and 3. In applying gold leaf the clear resin size or adhesive described in the example is first applied over the pyroxylin coat in the form of the desired character, the coating of'the resin composition designated by numeral 6 in the drawing being applied in the form of the letter A. This resinous coating is allowed to dry one to two hours, whereupon the gold leaf 7 is applied by roller, and is allowed to dry two hours or more. A top coat 8 of the same composition is applied over the gold leaf and is allowed to dry., If a second top coat is desired the first top coat is allowed to dry four or five hours before the second top coat is applied.

The application of decalcomanias to a surface according to my process is also simllar to the prior art method. The size coat, however is first a plied to the decalcomania and is allowed to ry until it becomes tacky, which will require between about ten and about twenty minutes. The decalcomania is then placed on the surface to'be decorated with the size coating next to this surface, and pressure is applied by any suitable means, such as by a roller. The paper backing is washed from the decalcomania and the decalcomania is allowed to dry until its condition is satisfactory, which requires about two hours. One or more top coats 8 of the same composition as the size,'or of a different composition, are then applied. Preferred results and great advantages in durability are obtained by using the size as the top coat. If more than one top coat is applied, the first coat should be allowed to dry about four hours before the second is applied.

The following schedules illustrate excellently the great savings in time which are obtained by the practice of my invention.

The user may choose to use only 1 top coat In whlcheaeehe will save the drying time (or this operation.

Gold f mania to the surface to be decorated with said adhesive next to szliiild surfaple, waslh ng off :he p decalcomania bac 'ng an app ylng a p mgnme coat of adhesive comprising an oil mod1 fied P 01d glyceryl phthalate resin, a non-drylng 011, a

. method drier, an antioxidant and a volatile solvent.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

Hm GEORGE ENSMINGER. Apply size to Surface-allow to dry 4 1-2 Apply gold leaf-allow to dry 2 0 Apply 1st top coat-allow to dry 15 4 Apply 2nd top coatallow to dry... 15 4 Total drying time 48 12 The user may choose to use only 1 top coatin which case he will save the drying time for this operation. 5 Among the other advantages of my invention is the fact that my system dries hard and satisfactorily over pyroxylin compose tions" containing drying oils. A further advantage lies in the. fact that one mater al D is used as both size and top coat.v st ll further advantage of'my invention hes 1n the fact that my system has a durability about twice that of'previous systems, and that, whereas the systems of the prior art ave a 5 durability when continuously expose outdoors, of about six months, my system g1ves a durability of about a year.'

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope v thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims. I claim: I

1. The method of applying a decoration of the gold leaf, decalcomania type to a surface which comprises applying it by means of an adhesive comprising a polyhydric alcoholpolybasic acid resin, and in applying thereover an adhesive comprising an oil modified polyhydric alcohol-polybasic acid resin.

2. The method of applying decorations of the gold leaf, decalcomania type to a surface which comprises applying the decoration to the surface by means of an adhesive solution comprising an oil modified polyhydric alcohol-polybasic acid resin, an oil compatible with the resin to retard the drying thereof a drier, and an anti-oxidant, in drylng, and in applying a top coat of the composition used as the adhesive.

3. The method of applying decorations of the gold leaf, decalcomania type to a surface containing pyroxylin and'a drying oil which comprises applying the decoration to the sur-' face by means of an adhesive solution comprising an oil modified polyhydric alcoholpolybasic acid resin.

4. The method of applying decalcomanias which comprises applying to the decalcomania an adhesive comprising a glyceryl phthalate resin, a non-drying oil, a drier, an antioxidant and a volatile solvent, drying the adhesive until tacky, applying the decalco- 

